Midwifery; provide for licensure and regulation of.

HB 1386 establishes a licensure and regulatory framework for professional midwives in Mississippi community settings. It requires midwives to obtain a license from the newly created State Board of Licensed Midwifery, defines their scope of practice (including antepartum, intrapartum, and postpartum care), and mandates that health insurance plans covering maternity care must also cover services provided by licensed midwives. The bill directly affects midwives seeking to practice legally, healthcare insurers required to provide coverage, and patients accessing community-based birth care. Key policy changes include removing midwifery from the medical practice definition and prohibiting health plans from using discriminatory language against midwifery services.